
I want to help you build a nature habit for your family so your children feel happier and calmer.
Spending time in and around nature is so beneficial to our family’s health and well-being. It calms us when we are feeling stressed and boosts our mood when we are feeling down. There are so many incredible ways to tap into the healing power of nature, and I am excited to share them with you.
I created the Ecohappiness Project to focus on where nature and mental health intersect. It serves as a platform to tie together all the science and practical tools to live a happy, balanced life through nature. I also want to shine a light on why mental health should be part of the environmental movement and our daily lives, especially as we face challenges related to development, toxics, and climate change. Bottom line: we need to protect our environment for our mental health.
What can you do right now? Check out the resources below and take the Ecohappiness Challenge. Also, join the conversation over on Facebook in the Stress Relief With Nature group.
Blog Posts
Enjoy some of my top blog posts covering the intersection of nature and mental health.
- How Nature Can Help Your Family Survive The Stress Of Online Learning
- How To Build A Habit Around Connecting With Nature
- How Environmental Activism Can Help Your Kids Feel Happier
- What Happened to Playing Outside?
- Why Green Exercise Helps Reduce Stress And Boost Mood
- Benefits Of Biking For Your Family
- How Children Find Their Purpose At Camp
- 3 Simple Ways Water Can Calm Your Children
- Why Gardening Can Be A Calming Activity For Your Kids
- How To Create A Meditation Garden Your Entire Family Will Enjoy
- How To Enjoy A Nature Poetry Walk With Your Kids
- Why Nature Drawing and Nature Painting For Kids Are Powerful Relaxation Tools
- 5 Reasons Why A Pet Will Improve Your Child’s Life
- How Your Kids Can Find Emotional Support From A Comfort Animal
- Volunteer Opportunities For Kids Outside In Nature
- 7 Natural Scents To Help Boost Our Mood
- How Nature Décor Relaxes Our Kids
Articles
Here are some of the articles I have written for other publications.
- Green Exercise (Chicago Suburban Family)
- Relax And Have Fun Volunteering Outdoors With Your Grandkids (Grand Magazine)
- How Volunteering Outdoors Can Help Your Family Feel Happier and Calmer (Mamas and Coffee)
- How To Enjoy the Benefits Of Nature Inside When You Can’t Get Outside: How to Ditch a Gloomy Mood (It’s Your Magazine)
- Create a Meditation Garden (Tidewater Women)
- 3 Ways Kids Can Find Mindfulness Through Nature (Georgia Family)
- How Children Find Their Purpose at Camp (City Parent)
- How to Enjoy the Beauty of Nature During a Family Road Trip (Kern County Family Magazine)
Speaking Engagements
Listen to me talk about ecohappiness.
- Mom Enough Podcast—Simple Ways to Enjoy the Benefits of Nature
- Mindful Mama Mentor Podcast—The Healing Power of Nature
- Sunshine Parenting Podcast—The Ecohappiness Challenge
- Apparently Parent Podcast—How to Connect to Nature During COVID-19
Resources
Here are a few of my favorite resources from organizations and other authors.
- Children’s & Nature Network
- Greater Good Science Center
- Human Animal Bond Research Institute
- Park Rx America
- Pet Partners
- Roots and Shoots
- Awestruck: How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier, and More Connected by Jonah Paquette
- Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable by Angela J. Hanscom
- Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do by Wallace J. Nichols and Céline Cousteau
- How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature by Scott D. Sampson
- Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
- The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams
- There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids by Linda Åkeson McGurk
- Your Brain On Nature by Eva M. Selhub and Alan C. Logan